Fiddler On The Roof is thought by many to be the quintessential musical of our time. Composer, Jerry Bock and lyricist, Sheldon Harnick teamed up with librettist, Joseph Stein to create this timeless classic, magically woven with universal themes, music, dance, poignancy and laughter.

Fiddler on the Roof is based on Tevye and his Daughters and other tales by Sholem Aleichem that he wrote in Yiddish and published in 1894. Set in 1905, the musical takes place in Anatevka, a small Jewish village in Russia. The story revolves around the dairyman, Tevye, and his attempts to preserve his family's traditions in the face of a changing world. When his eldest daughter, Tzeitel, begs him to let her marry a poor tailor rather than the middle-aged butcher that he has already chosen for her, Tevye must choose between his own daughter's happiness and those beloved traditions that keep the outside world at bay. Meanwhile, there are other forces at work in Anatevka, dangerous forces which threaten to destroy the very life he is trying to preserve. The score includes such favorite songs as: "If I Were a Rich Man", "Matchmaker, Matchmaker", "Tradition" and "Sunrise Sunset".

The original Broadway production opened on September 22, 1964 and ran for a record-setting total of 3,242 performances. Fiddler held the record for the longest-running Broadway musical for almost 10 years until Grease surpassed its run. It remains Broadway's fifteenth longest-running show in history. The Cast included Zero Mostel as Tevye the milkman, Maria Karnilova as his wife and Beatrice Arthur as Yente, the matchmaker. It won nine of the ten Tony Awards for which it received nominations, including Best Musical, Best Actor (Mostel), Featured Actress (Karnilova), Author (Stein), Composer (Bock), Lyricist (Harnick), Director and Choreographer (Jerome Robbins). The show was made into a 1971 film starring Topol in the Tevye role.

In our production, Tevye the Dairyman is brought vividly to life by Bill Nolte. His wife Golde will be played by Emily Zacharias. The Daughters are Rachel Prather (Tzeitel), Sarah Rolleston (Hodel), Dana Glaus (Chava), and local children, Gianna Florio and Julia Gold who will alternate as Bielke, and Samantha Robins and Shannon Stout who will alternate as Shprintze. Terry Palasz is the meddling Matchmaker, Yente. The girls' suitors are Andrew Boza, as Motel the tailor, Eric Johnson as the butcher, Lazar Wolfe, Joe Longthorne as the student revolutionary, Perchik, and Chris Giordano as Fyedka, the Russian Cossack.

The production is Directed and Choreographed by WBT favorite, Richard Stafford, who had been at the helm for several WBT productions including Can-Can, George M!, Hairspray, Beauty & The Beast, Gypsy and Singin' In The Rain. Jesse Factor is the Associate Choreographer. The Musical Director is Leo P. Carusone, Set Design is by John Farrell, Technical Director is Steve Loftus, Lighting Design by Andrew Gmoser, Sound Design by Jonathan Hatton, Costume design by Michael Bottari & Ronald Case, Production Stage Manager is Victor Lukas and the Assistant Stage Manager is Ron Rogell. Properties are by Grumpy's Props. As with all our productions, Lisa Tiso is The Associate Producer.

Emily Zacharias (Golde) Recently has created roles in GHOSTS IN PRINCETON by Daniel Kehlmann, AN INTERESTING STORY by Eddie Antar, NAKED IN ENCINO by Wendy Kout, and BROTHERS, a short film by Larry Cohen. She has appeared on Broadway in 3 plays and 3 musicals: One opened and closed on the same night. One featured her name above the title. One was directed by Mike Nichols, and one by Joe Mantello. One had fans known as 'jekkies.' Off and Off-Off favorites include: OLYMPUS ON MY MIND, MARCH OF THE FALSETTOS, THE DOUBLING TIME, and INVENTING AVI. She played Joanne in the National Company of COMPANY. Emily is a founding member and literary associate of The Workshop Theater Company...Delighted to return to WBT after NINE.

Ticket Prices: Dinner & Show range between $52.00 and $80.00 PLUS TAX depending on the performance chosen. Beverage Service & Gratuities are not included in the ticket price. Discounts are available for children, students, and senior citizens at selected performances. Also check the website for on-going Special Offers! More news at www.BroadwayTheatre.com.